Reasons to See a Psychiatrist

All sorts of things happen in life, and we, as humans, are not always capable of working through these events on our own. A psychiatrist is doctor trained to help people deal with or overcome mental disorders and psychological issues, and can prescribe medicines for those mental disorders and psychiatric issues. According to HealthyMinds.org, a few reasons to see a psychiatrist are excessive anxiety, bipolar disorder, irrational fears and eating disorders.

Excessive Anxiety

• A psychiatrist can help with excessive anxiety problems, commonly known as Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD). We all have anxiety, but the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) says people with GAD "don't know how to stop the worry cycle and feel it is beyond their control, even though they usually realize that their anxiety is more intense than the situation warrants." This disorder affects 6.8 million adults. The ADAA also recommends cognitive behavior therapy as being "effective for many people, helping them to identify, understand and modify faulty thinking and behavior patterns."

Bipolar Disorder

• Bipolar disorder is when a person has a range of manic moods, going from emotional highs to a deep depression. Bipolar.com claims there are three parts to treating this disorder, "They are medicine, therapy, and learning more about the condition so you can take care of yourself." A psychiatrist is the only mental health doctor who can treat this disorder with medication, as they are the only mental health consultant with the ability to write prescriptions.

Irrational Fear

• Irrational fears, or phobias as they are commonly known, are so terrorizing that they incapacitate the person experiencing the emotion. According to HelpGuide.org, the fears are so severe that "that they cause tremendous anxiety and interfere with normal day-to-day life". We all have phobias but generally are not overwhelmed by those fears. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is able to help about 75 percent of people overcome their phobias.

Eating Disorders

• A few of the better-known eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, binging/purging, food addiction and body dysmorphic disorder. According to the National Institute for Mental Health, an eating disorder "is present when a person experiences severe disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme reduction of food intake or extreme overeating, or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape." Eating disorders are usually treatable with psychiatric therapy, nutrition counseling, monitoring and medicine, but there are extreme cases that require hospitalization.